Plastic is usually made from hydrocarbons that are obtained from natural gas or oils. Basically, a lot of monomers come together to form a polymer that forms up a plastic material. These polymers are not always good for the environment we live in. These are non-organic and do not decompose. Therefore, they pose a threat to the atmosphere. Plastic can have both positive and negative effects on our environment and on us.
The positive and negative effects of plastic have been explained below. Read on to know more about this widely used famous product
Positive effects of Plastic:
The positive effects of plastic have been mentioned as follows:• Highly sterile and inexpensive material: Plastic finds use at almost all locations and thus proves to be a highly useful material. It is also a very cheap material. Being highly sterile, it is resistant to contamination which becomes a great reason for its application in medical areas along with other trivial uses such as water storage, fresh food containers etc.
• Very Usable and Versatile: Plastic is a very versatile material as it serves its usage in so many areas. It is a very light material and is very easy to use because of which, many kitchen utensils and appliances are made up of it. In place of the heavy glassware and ceramic kitchenware, plastic kitchenware can be used which is comparatively lighter. Being multipurpose, they are safe for children use.
Negative effects of Plastic:
The negative effects of plastic have been mentioned as follows:• Not good for overall health: As much as plastic is used in kitchenware, however, it does contains harmful chemicals, they are likely to release these chemicals in the environment which is very harmful for the environment. For example, the chlorinated plastic is known to release harmful chemicals into the soil. These in turn, can find their way to the water resources and affect the overall ecosystem in a very negative way.
• Non-disposable: As we know, Plastic is a non-disposable material. It has a non-biodegradable nature which is a threat to the earth. A plastic piece can take thousands of years to dispose. Since they do not decompose easily, they are difficult to get rid of and cause harms to the animals who often end up eating the plastic and dying of chocking and its harmful chemicals. They also cause blockages in the water resources which could lead to flood and other drastic conditions.
• Air Pollution: Whenever plastics are manufactured, a huge amount of carbon mono-oxide is released into the atmosphere by the industries. This element is very infectious to the humans and the animals. This ends up adding to the air pollution. When plastic is burnt, it releases really harmful gases which are a huge air pollution contributor and is highly hazardous to the general health of the people.
• Toxins: Some types of plastics are comprised of toxic elements such as the phthalates, BPA and flame retardants. Also, when plastic breaks down when put on a high temperature, it absorbs more dangerous toxins easily like the harmful pesticides such as DDT, PCB, and PAH. This becomes a great threat to the earth’s environment.
Plastic has been seeing an increased usage with the course of time. Day by day, plastic is becoming an important part of our life. It is good to use this material to an extent where it doesn’t pose a threat to our environment. But limiting the use of plastic is very necessary if we want to save the earth from its harmful effects.
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